Cutting out the park's heart

Monday

Apr 8, 2013 at 12:01 AM

The far-off sequester in the nation's capital has put a padlock on the gateway to the Poconos. Thanks to Congress' chronic bickering over budget and taxation, it's as if the Hatfields and the McCoys were taking pot shots at each other across the Delaware River, preventing ordinary citizens from enjoying this scenic natural resource for the foreseeable future.

The far-off sequester in the nation's capital has put a padlock on the gateway to the Poconos. Thanks to Congress' chronic bickering over budget and taxation, it's as if the Hatfields and the McCoys were taking pot shots at each other across the Delaware River, preventing ordinary citizens from enjoying this scenic natural resource for the foreseeable future.

Park officials announced this week that the sequester's mandatory 5-percent budget cuts are forcing them to close some of the park's most popular sites. Kittatinny Beach in Delaware Water Gap, the site of many a picnic and canoe landing, will be off limits. Likewise the much-used Gap parking lot that accommodates hikers trekking up to Sunfish Pond. Even Milford Beach, where many canoe trips begin, will close. Park managers say they must cut nearly half a million dollars from their $9.5 million annual budget, so they can't afford to pay seasonal workers to staff the sites. They can't even cover the $52,000 for such necessities as toilet paper, trash removal and cleaning supplies.

This is a shame and a scandal. The nation is still struggling its way out of a long and deep recession. Thousands of people use these free resources to enjoy a day outdoors. Canoe liveries derive their seasonal livelihood by dropping off and picking up boaters. Now these areas will be unavailable.

Government has come to a pretty pass when it can't operate the most basic of public services. The park is the biggest slice of green within easy striking distance of New York City, and visitors contribute mightily to the $2 million Pocono tourism industry, so closing these access points will hurt not only tourists, but the regional economy. Yet officials in Washington, D.C. continue to put petty partisan priorities ahead of practical solutions. Citizens who ignored the issue discover a direct impact on their lives, even their bottom line.

Here's a suggestion. Park service officials halt the replacement of 337 signs in the park, a $430,000 project already under way. Meanwhile, park employees who serve in the Bushkill headquarters relocate to Milford or the Gap, and multitask. Pocono area congressmen jigger their schedules so that they can split weekend duty, emptying the trash and answering visitors' questions at these threatened areas of the park.